System and method for handling items using movable-bots

ABSTRACT

A method for handling items using a plurality of movable-bots includes defining a conveyance path to be followed by the plurality of movable-bots, where the conveyance path is configured as a closed loop. The method further includes defining, for each of the plurality of movable-bots, a plurality of path attributes associated with the conveyance path. The method further includes instructing each of the plurality of movable-bots to synchronize a movement with respect to at least one other movable-bot based on the plurality of path attributes when moving along the conveyance path.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 16/192,686, filed on Nov. 15, 2018; the entirecontent of the foregoing is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to methods and systems forhandling of items. Specifically, the present disclosure relates to useof movable-bots for sorting and transferring of items.

BACKGROUND

In recent years, there has been a growing demand for industrial goods inday to day life. In order to meet the increased demand for industrialgoods, industries need to maintain a sustainable demand and supplyratio. Traditionally, industries used to employ humans for sorting andtransferring of inventory items. However, the employment of humans insuch sorting facilities generally tend to be costly as well as prone tomistakes and may also be time consuming. Many such sorting facilitieshave resorted to conveyor belt systems which were introduced as acarrying medium in order to reduce cost and time consumption intransferring of items from one location to another within the facility.

Generally, the conveyor belt system utilizes two or more rollersconfigured with a conveyor belt as the carrying medium for the transferof items from one end to the other. The items are placed over theconveyor belts and are transferred from one location to another by themovement of the conveyor belts. However, the use of a conveyor beltsystem comes with its own disadvantages and challenges. For example, aconveyor belt system is a fixed system with a belt assembly installed ata certain location in the sorting facility. Therefore, any requiredchange in pickup and drop points, or relocation of the whole conveyorbelt system, if needed, is quite challenging, and sometimes evenimpossible. Moreover, the conveyor belt system being a fixed system,does not allow for any change in the throughput thereof. Furthermore,failure of any one component of the conveyor belt system results innon-functioning of the entire system. Additionally, the conveyor beltsystem does not allow distributive clearance between the items placethereon, which could result in hazardous accidents.

Therefore, in light of the foregoing discussion, there exists a need toovercome the aforementioned drawbacks associated with the traditionalsystems for carrying and handling of items while being transferred fromone location to another.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure seeks to provide a method for handling itemsusing a plurality of movable-bots. The present disclosure seeks toprovide a solution to the existing problem of handling items using aplurality of movable-bots. An aim of the present disclosure is toprovide a solution that overcomes at least partially the problemsencountered in the prior art, and provides reliable and efficienthandling of items using a plurality of movable-bots.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method forhandling items using a plurality of movable-bots includes defining aconveyance path to be followed by the plurality of movable-bots, wherethe conveyance path is as a closed loop. The method further includesdefining, for each of the plurality of movable-bots, a plurality of pathattributes associated with the conveyance path. The method furtherincludes instructing each of the plurality of movable-bots tosynchronize a movement with respect to at least one other movable-botbased on the plurality of path attributes when moving along theconveyance path.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a system forhandling items using a plurality of movable-bots includes a serverarrangement. The server arrangement is operable to define a conveyancepath to be followed by the plurality of movable-bots, the conveyancepath configured as a closed loop. The server arrangement is furtheroperable to define, for each of the plurality of movable-bots, aplurality of path attributes associated with the conveyance path. Theserver arrangement is further operable to instruct each of the pluralityof movable-bots to synchronize a movement with respect to at least oneother movable-bot based on the plurality of path attributes when movingalong the conveyance path.

Embodiments of the present disclosure substantially eliminate or atleast partially address the aforementioned problems in the prior art,and enables reliable and efficient handling of items using a pluralityof movable-bots.

Additional aspects, advantages, features and objects of the presentdisclosure would be made apparent from the drawings and the detaileddescription of the illustrative embodiments construed in conjunctionwith the appended claims that follow.

It will be appreciated that features of the present disclosure aresusceptible to being combined in various combinations without departingfrom the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appendedclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The summary above, as well as the following detailed description ofillustrative embodiments, is better understood when read in conjunctionwith the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the presentdisclosure, exemplary constructions of the disclosure are shown in thedrawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to specificmethods and instrumentalities disclosed herein. Moreover, those in theart will understand that the drawings are not to scale. Whereverpossible, like elements have been indicated by identical numbers.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described, by way ofexample only, with reference to the following diagrams wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of a system for handling itemsusing a plurality of movable-bots, in accordance with various exemplaryimplementations of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a system for handling items usinga plurality of movable-bots showing a conveyance path and an operationpath therein, in accordance with various exemplary implementations ofthe present disclosure;

FIGS. 3A and 3B are schematic illustrations of a portion of a system forhandling items using a plurality of movable-bots depicting concepts ofsafe-distance and time-window, respectively, in accordance with variousexemplary implementations of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is an illustration of a process flow chart for sorting itemsusing a plurality of movable-bots, in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present disclosure;

FIGS. 5A-5C are schematic illustrations of movable-bots and operationsthereof, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the presentdisclosure; and

FIG. 6 is an illustration of steps of a method for handling items usinga plurality of movable-bots, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 7 illustrates a block diagram of a computer according to oneexample.

In the accompanying drawings, an underlined number is employed torepresent an item over which the underlined number is positioned or anitem to which the underlined number is adjacent. A non-underlined numberrelates to an item identified by a line linking the non-underlinednumber to the item. When a number is non-underlined and accompanied byan associated arrow, the non-underlined number is used to identify ageneral item at which the arrow is pointing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The following detailed description illustrates embodiments of thepresent disclosure and ways in which they can be implemented. Althoughsome modes of carrying out the present disclosure have been disclosed,those skilled in the art would recognize that other embodiments forcarrying out or practicing the present disclosure are also possible.

The present disclosure provides a reliable and efficient, method andsystem for handling items using a plurality of movable-bots. The presentdisclosure allows for items to be handled by movable-bots. Themovable-bots are configured to operate at multiple pickup and droppoints. The movable-bots transfer items by following a conveyance paththat connects the pickup and drop locations. Furthermore, the conveyancepath is a closed loop that the movable-bots are configured to traverseto connect the pickup and drop locations. Beneficially, the closed loopallows for a seamless movement of the movable-bot along a defined pathconnecting the pickup and drop location. Additionally, such seamlessmovement of the movable-bot along the defined path decreases the traveltime of the movable-bot, and consequently enables an improved throughputof the system in picking up and dropping items in a warehouse or anothermanufacturing arrangement.

Moreover, the system is well equipped for reallocation of pickup anddrop points in accordance with the flow of operations. Such systems,being modular in nature, allow for a change in position or relocation ofthe plurality of paths quite easily. Moreover, such systems are able toprovide a higher throughput by increasing the number and speed of themovable-bots, if required. Furthermore, the movable-bots are operable tochoose an easy and deterministic path for the operations assignedthereto. Beneficially, such systems are also operable to functionefficiently even if one of the movable-bots is unable to functionproperly. Additionally, due to predefined timing and positioning of themovable-bots, collisions and congestions are easily avoided. Moreadditionally, the present disclosure allows for precise merging anddemerging of the movable-bots from the operation paths to the conveyancepath and vice-versa due to implementation of well-defined time-windows.Notably, the aforementioned system is quite efficient and reliable intransferring of items from one location to another.

Throughout the present disclosure, the term “movable-bots” used hereinrelates to a robotic device operable to transfer items from one locationto another. The movable-bots are operable to move along a predefinedpath to execute the operations assigned thereto. The predefined path maybe a route, ways (e.g., curved/straight paths that may be high speedregions) and so forth. Furthermore, the movable-bots move by sliding,rolling and so forth over the route to travel the distance associatedwith it. The movable-bots require a power source to perform variousfunctions associated thereto. Optionally, the power source may include arechargeable battery and the like. The movable-bots may include devicessuch as automated guided vehicles (AGVs), unmanned guided vehicles(UGVs) and so forth. That is, the movable-bots are operated withouton-board human presence.

Optionally, the movable-bot includes an actuating arrangement forpicking and dropping of items. The actuating arrangement may be in theform of a tilt tray or a belt carriage. In the present examples, thetilt tray may be flipped by about 75 degrees for dropping the itemtherefrom. It should be possible to actuate the belt carriage in boththe directions. Further, it should be possible to actuate the tilt trayor the carriage individually, simultaneously and in sync, or separatelywithout any limitations. Further, the movable-bots may be adapted toprovide feedback on sorting completion and in case of failure toactuate. Further, the movable-bots may be adapted to move simultaneouslyone behind the other, as and when required for any operation.

In some examples, the movable-bots may have obstacle detection distanceas per a max speed of bot and a stopping distance. Obstacle detectionmay generally be possible only in a direction of motion and should benon-tactile (i.e., non-contact based detection). In some cases,secondary obstacle detection may also be available in case of failure ofprimary obstacle detection and can be tactile (i.e., contact baseddetection). Further, the automatic recovery or restart after removal ofan obstacle shall be at least after a predetermined time (e.g., 2seconds). The movable-bots may be designed to not topple upon anemergency/abrupt stop. Further, the one or more items placed on top ofthe movable-bots should not fall upon an emergency stop. The movable-botmay also be capable of detecting deviation from the guided path and cometo a halt in no more than a predetermined distance (e.g., 2.1 meters).

In one embodiment, the acceleration of the movable-bot with a load isabout 1 m/s² and without a load is about 1.2 m/s². Further, thedeceleration of the movable-bot with a load is about 1 m/stand without aload is about 1.2 m/s². The maximum swing radius of the movable-bot isabout 445 mm, with a turning radius of 0 mm and turn-time of 90 degreesbeing less than 2 seconds.

The term “items” used herein relates to goods, material, products, andso forth. In an example, the items may include raw materials, finishedproducts, and the like. The items could be in the form of polybags,cartons, and in a regular or an irregular shape, without anylimitations. Furthermore, the movable-bots are operable to sort theitems being transferred to a desired location and arrange the itemsprecisely therein. Such movable-bots are programmed to performautomatically or may be controlled manually in real time by a remoteoperator. The movable-bots may be programmed to operate such that eachof the individual movable-bots moves in sync with the other movable-botsin the same path. The movement of the movable-bots may depend uponvarious parameters. For example the movement may be associated with thedistance between the individual movable-bots along the same path, anoperating speed of each of the movable-bots, and the like.

According to some embodiments, the system includes a server arrangement.Throughout the present disclosure, the term “server arrangement” relatesto a structure and/or module that includes programmable and/ornon-programmable components configured to store, process and/or shareinformation. Optionally, the server arrangement includes one of physicalor virtual computational entities capable of enhancing information toperform various computational tasks. It should be appreciated that theserver arrangement may be a single hardware server or plurality ofhardware servers operating in a parallel or distributed architecture. Inan example, the server arrangement may include components such asmemory, a processor, a network adapter and the like, to store, processand/or share information with other computing components, such as userdevice/user equipment. Optionally, the server arrangement is implementedas a computer program that provides various services (such as databaseservice) to other devices, modules or apparatuses.

According to some embodiments, the method for handling items using aplurality of movable-bots includes defining a conveyance path to befollowed by the plurality of movable-bots for a duty-cycle, where theconveyance path is configured to be a closed loop. The serverarrangement is operable to define a conveyance path to be followed bythe plurality of movable-bots for the duty-cycle. It will be appreciatedthat the term “conveyance path” relates to routes, ways (e.g.,curved/straight paths that may be high speed regions), and the like,associated with the plurality of movable bots for transferring of items.Furthermore, the conveyance path is considered as a major path fortransferring of items and also covers the longest distance of travelwithin the entire system. It may be understood that the plurality ofmovable-bots starts their operations on the conveyance path fortransferring the items. The plurality of movable-bots may spend amaximum travel time during their operations on the conveyance path.Additionally, the plurality of movable-bots moves at their maximum speedalong the conveyance path to provide a maximum throughput.

According to some embodiments, the method further includes defining aplurality of operation paths for the duty-cycle, where the conveyancepath and each of the plurality of operation paths combine to form afixed-closed loop. For example, the server arrangement is operable todefine a plurality of operation paths for the duty-cycle, where theconveyance path and each of the plurality of operation paths combine toform a fixed-closed loop. The plurality of operation paths and theconveyance path are combined to form a fixed-closed loop to provide acontinuous and uniform flow to the work process. In one example, one ofthe plurality of operation paths combines with the conveyance path toprovide a fixed-closed loop. In another example, two or more of theplurality of operation paths combine with the conveyance path to providea fixed-closed loop. In some embodiments, the plurality of operationpaths for the duty-cycle are defined based on the work process to beperformed by the plurality of movable-bots.

In some embodiments, the duty-cycle relates to a complete work process(including, transferring, sorting, and the like) that is performed bythe plurality of movable-bots. The duty-cycle involves the manual and/orautomatic feeding of the items from a storage area or conveyor beltsonto the movable-bots; and further entering of the movable-bots into theconveyance path and thereafter identification, merging and subsequentdemerging of the movable-bots into and from the one or more operationpaths for performing a required operation. In one or more examples, theduty-cycle also involves scanning, weighing, and dimensioning of theitems placed on the movable-bots to facilitate with completing thenecessary operation thereof.

The length of the conveyance path may be greater than the length of anyone or more of the operation path so that the conveyance path couldconnect the various operation paths for allowing the movable-bots totransfer therefrom to one of the operation paths (as required). Thisfurther provides that the movable-bots, generally, cover most of thedistance to be traversed for any given operation in the conveyance pathas compared to the operation paths, and since the movable-bots maytravel at higher speed in the conveyance path as compared to theoperation path, this would result in faster and efficient overalloperation.

In some embodiments, the conveyance path is configured to form a closedloop. In one example, the conveyance path may be a circular shape, ovalshape, a winding path, or any other closed loop that does not includesharp changes in direction. In other embodiments, a rectangular,triangular or any other suitable shape may be utilized without anylimitations. The corners of the shapes may be rounded or otherwisemodified to allow the plurality of movable-bots to move at higherspeeds. In some embodiments, a guiding arrangement (e.g., rail system)may be provided to allow the plurality of movable-bots to changedirections at higher speeds. In an example, the server arrangementquantifies the amount of work in terms of number of items, weight ofitems, and so forth involved in the duty-cycle, and designates theconveyance path based thereon. In another example, the serverarrangement is operable to analyse the duty-cycle and thereby define theconveyance path to be followed by the plurality of movable-bots toperform various work processes. In one or more examples, the conveyancepath may allow entry and exit of the plurality of movable-botsarbitrarily from any of the points thereon. Generally, the length of theconveyance path may be longer than the length of any of the operationpaths to maintain high speed for the overall operation to obtain higherthroughput.

In one embodiment, a length of the conveyance path constitutes about 60to 100 percent of a total length of the fixed-closed loop. The length ofthe conveyance path may be defined based on the assigned work processesat the start of the duty-cycle. In an example, the work processesassigned at the start of the duty-cycle may be defined in a manner that60 percent of a path travelled by the moveable-bot to complete theassigned processes is within the conveyance path of the fixed-closedloop. In another example, the work processes assigned at the start ofthe duty-cycle may be defined in a manner that 90 percent of a pathtravelled by the moveable-bot to complete the assigned processes iswithin the conveyance path of the fixed-closed loop. In yet anotherexample, the work processes assigned at the start of the duty-cycle maybe defined in a manner that 100 percent of a path travelled by themoveable-bot to complete the assigned processes is within the conveyancepath of the fixed-closed loop.

In one embodiment, a total length of the plurality of operation pathsconstitutes about 0 to a predetermined percentage (e.g., 40 percent) ofthe total length of the fixed-closed loop. The total length of theplurality of operation paths are defined based on the assigned workprocesses at the start of the duty-cycle. In an example, the workprocesses assigned at the start of the duty-cycle may be defined in amanner that 40 percent of a path travelled by the moveable-bot tocomplete the assigned processes is within the plurality of operationpaths of the fixed-closed loop. In another example, the work processesassigned at the start of the duty-cycle may be defined in a manner that10 percent of a path travelled by the moveable-bot to complete theassigned processes is within the plurality of operation paths of thefixed-closed loop. In yet another example, the work processes assignedat the start of the duty-cycle may be defined in a manner that a pathtravelled by the moveable-bot to complete the assigned processes may notinclude traversing through the plurality of operation paths (i.e., theplurality of operation paths constitute 0 percent of the fixed-closedloop). In some embodiments, the plurality of operation paths aresubsidiary parts of the entire system, and thereby, the total length ofthe plurality of operation paths is less than the length of theconveyance path in the fixed-closed loop. In one or more examples, theplurality of movable-bots moves along the plurality of operation pathswith a relatively lower range of speed with respect to the conveyancepath, as discussed below in further detail.

In some embodiments, the length of the conveyance path is kept inbetween 60 to 100 percent of total length because when the length ofconveyance path is 50% of the total length, the operating speed becomeshalf, and when the length of the conveyance path is at 60% of the totallength, a weighted average of the speed provides a higher averageoperational speed to the movable-bots. Thus 60 to 100 percent range ofthe length increases the average speed of the movable-bots duringoperation, and therefore, results in more efficient overall operation.

The method for handling items using the plurality of movable-botsincludes defining a plurality of path attributes associated with theconveyance path, for each of the plurality of movable-bots. Herein, theserver arrangement is operable to define a plurality of path attributesassociated with the conveyance path, for each of the plurality ofmovable-bots. The server arrangement provides a set of instructions tothe plurality of movable-bots based on the work processes to beperformed thereby. In one example, the plurality of path attributesassociated with the conveyance path is defined based on the number offunctions involved in the work process.

In one embodiment, the plurality of path attributes includes one or moreof a maximum speed for each of the plurality of movable-bots, a maximumacceleration for each of the plurality of movable-bots, an entry point,and an exit point. For example, the plurality of movable-bots isconfigured to move at a maximum speed (for example, 60 kilometres perhour), a maximum acceleration (for example, 100 metre per second square)based on the length of the conveyance path. Additionally, the entrypoints and exit points on the conveyance path are defined based on thework process. Furthermore, as discussed above, the conveyance path mayallow entry and exit of the plurality of movable-bots arbitrarily fromany of the entry points and exit points thereon.

In one embodiment, the method further includes defining one or moreoperations associated with each of the plurality of operation paths foreach of the plurality of movable-bots. For example, the serverarrangement may be further operable to define one or more operationsassociated with each of the plurality of operation paths for each of theplurality of movable-bots. The one or more operations may be definedbased on the number of items, types of items, location of items, and soforth. The one or more operations may include transfer of items, sortingof items, and so forth. Additionally, the one or more operations mayinclude information about distance of travel, direction of travel,travelling speed, and so forth for the at least one of the plurality ofmovable-bots. Additionally, the plurality of movable-bots may beconfigured with a certain number of operations that are to be performedsimultaneously. For example, the plurality of movable-bots may beprogrammed to manoeuvre around a work station and transfer goods fromone location to the other while maintaining relative speeds and relativedistances therebetween. Additionally, the movable-bots may be configuredsuch that the movable-bots do not collide with each other whileperforming the defined operations. Furthermore, the plurality ofmovable-bots may be programmed to repeat a certain number of operationsperiodically. In order to meet the desired throughput and efficientmaterial handling, the movable-bots may be restricted to a specifiedarea of function and to operate at a specified travelling speed.

In one embodiment, the one or more operations associated with each ofthe plurality of operation paths includes one of retrieving identityinformation of an item at a scanning point, where the identityinformation includes at least one of a unique identifier of the item anda weight of the item and dimensions of the item. In general, theidentity information of the item represents a unique identity (e.g., theitem type information, such as cosmetic products, glassware, etc.),weight information (e.g., light weighted or heavy weighted) of the item,and dimension information of the item. It should be appreciated that themoveable-bots are capable of handling multiple items of same ordifferent types without any limitations.

In some embodiments the items being transferred from one location toanother are passed through the scanning point. The items may include oneof an optical barcode, machine readable strips, and so forth. For suchoperation, the system further includes at least one scanner arranged atthe scanning points. It will be appreciated that the scanner may be anyelectronic device operable to read the optical barcode, machine readablestrips, and the like. The scanner arranged at the scanning points isoperable to detect the items being scanned and retrieves the identityinformation of the item at the scanning point. That is, the scannerreceives the identity information of the item and checks the storage ofthe server arrangement to retrieve the information related to the itembeing scanned. Subsequently, the scanner performs analysis of theclassification of the item based on the retrieved identity information.Consequently, based on the retrieved identity information, furtheroperations may be defined and performed. In one or more examples, theidentity information may be utilized to obtain information about astorage location of the item, distance of travel, the particularoperation path to be taken along with the conveyance path, and/or speedto be maintained during the travel.

As discussed, in some examples, the operation path may be determinedbased on the identity information, such as one or more of weight andvolume of the item. For instance, the duty-cycle may involve sorting ofthe items to be shipped to various Postal Index Number (pin) codes orzip codes in a location. In this situation, the identity information maybe utilized, for example, to decide the shipping method employed fortransporting the item and accordingly the drop point of the item. Forexample, if the item weighs more than a certain predefined weight, thenthe item may be dropped at point ‘A’ while items weighting less than thepredefined weight may be dropped at point ‘B’ in one or more of theoperation paths.

It will be appreciated that one or more scanning points may be locatedat any position along the conveyance path, and once the item is scanned,the corresponding movable-bot carrying the item may be directed to anappropriate operation path concerning the scanned item. In some cases, ascanning point may be located right after the appropriate operation path(as determined), and in such cases, the movable-bot may have to traversethe entire conveyance path to come back to the appropriate operationpath for entering therein.

In one embodiment, the plurality of path attributes includes a speed ofthe movable bot moving in the operation path. As discussed above, themaximum speed and the maximum acceleration for each of the plurality ofmovable-bots moving along the conveyance path may be relatively higherthan the operation path. Furthermore, the maximum speed depends onvarious factors such as type of material, distance of travel, and/ornumber of operations to be performed. Specifically, the average speed ofthe closed loop is maintained according to the characteristics of theconveyance path and operation paths. The plurality of movable-bots mayhave adequate speed for both of the conveyance path and the operationpath to provide sufficient output for the one or more operations. It maybe understood that maintaining adequate speed provides overall fasterand efficient operation.

Furthermore, an effective speed of a movable-bot along each operationpath of the plurality of operation paths refers to an average traveltime of the movable-bot with respect to the time for the moveable-bot toperform an operation associated therein. For example, the effectivespeed of the moveable bot along an operation path is measured from thetime the moveable bot enters the operation path, performs an operation,and exits the operation path. If a moveable bot takes 3 minutes to enterthe operation path, perform the operation, and exit the operation, theeffective speed for this moveable bot is 3 minutes/operation. It will beappreciated that the time for the moveable-bot to perform an operationconsiders one or more events occurring during time the moveable-bot isperforming the operation, such as manoeuvring to avoid collision withother movable-bots, manoeuvring around a work station and transfergoods, maintaining desired speed for efficient material handling byaccelerating and/or decelerating, and the like. Moreover, the pluralityof operation paths enables each of the movable-bots to performoperations such as, receiving the item at a pickup point, retrievingidentity information at a scanning point and the like. Furthermore, theconveyance path connects the pickup and drop locations, enablessynchronizing movement of each of the movable-bots based on theplurality of path attributes when moving, and allows entry and exit ofthe plurality of movable-bots arbitrarily from any points of theconveyance path. Therefore, the maximum speed of each of themovable-bots along the conveyance path may be greater than the effectivespeed of each movable-bot along the plurality of operation paths.

In one embodiment, the maximum speed along the conveyance path is in arange of 1.5 to 10 times of an effective speed of each movable-bot alongthe plurality of operation paths. In an example, an effective speed of amovable-bot ‘X’ along the plurality of operation paths is 6 kilometresper hour. In this situation, the maximum speed of the movable-bot ‘X’along the conveyance path is within the range of 9 kilometres per hourto 60 kilometres per hour. It may be understood that maintaining ahigher effective speed of the movable-bots along the conveyance path ascompared to the corresponding operation paths provides overall fasterand efficient operation.

In one embodiment, the plurality of path attributes includes an entrypoint, for each of the plurality of movable-bots, from an operation pathinto the conveyance path, and an exit point, for each of the pluralityof movable-bots, from the conveyance path into the operation path.Furthermore, the conveyance path may connect with the plurality ofoperation paths at the entry and exit points. In one or more examples,the speeds of the movable bots may be adjusted while crossing the entrypoints and exit points. For example, the speeds of the movable bots maybe decreased while crossing the entry points and exit points. In anotherexample, the speeds of the movable bots may be decreased before or aftercrossing the entry points and exit points.

In one embodiment, the one or more operations associated with each ofthe plurality of operation paths includes receiving the item at a pickuppoint. For example, the items being transferred are placed on theplurality of movable-bots at the pickup point. The operation of placingitems on the plurality of movable-bots may be performed manually orautomatically. The pickup point may be an initial location or anintermediate location of the path to be travelled by the plurality ofmovable-bots.

In one another embodiment, the defined one or more operations includesdelivering the item at a drop point. For example, the plurality ofmovable-bots receives the item and delivers the item at a drop pointbased on retrieved identity information. The pickup point may be aninitial location or an intermediate location on the path to be travelledby the plurality of movable-bots to reach the defined location. The droppoint may be a final location or an intermediate location of the path tobe travelled by the plurality of movable-bots.

In one embodiment, the one or more operations associated with each ofthe plurality of operation paths includes charging a movable-bot at acharging point. As discussed above, the operating power of the pluralityof movable-bots may be electrical power supplied through rechargeablebatteries. In one example, the rechargeable batteries may be Lithiumbatteries. Furthermore, the rechargeable batteries need to be rechargedafter a certain period of use and/or consumption of power for performingthe operations. To provide power to the plurality of movable-bots,charging stations are arranged at the charging points. The serverarrangement may analyse the information about a power source of themovable bots. When the batteries need recharging, the plurality ofmovable-bots may be instructed to travel to the charging stationsarranged at charging points.

In one embodiment, the method further includes instructing each of theplurality of movable-bots to perform one or more correspondingoperations associated with an operation path when moving along theoperation path of the plurality of operation paths. For example, theserver arrangement is operable to instruct each of the plurality ofmovable-bots to perform one or more corresponding operations associatedwith an operation path when moving along the operation path of theplurality of operation paths. In an example, the plurality of operationssuch as receive an item from the pickup point, drop an item at the droppoint, or charging a movable-bot, may be assigned to each of theindividual bots based on the plurality of path attributes and theduty-cycle. In one example, separate operation paths from the pluralityof operation paths may be assigned to receive the item at the pickuppoint, deliver the item at a drop point, and charge a movable-bot at acharging point. In an example, the separate operation paths to receivethe item at the pickup point, deliver the item at a drop point, andcharge a movable-bot at a charging point, conjoin with the conveyancepath to form a closed loop. The conjoined path may exhibit adistinguished path attribute according to the operation associatedtherewith.

The method for handling items using the plurality of movable-botsincludes instructing each of the plurality of movable-bots tosynchronize a movement thereof based on the plurality of path attributeswhen moving along the conveyance path. For example, the serverarrangement is operable to instruct each of the plurality ofmovable-bots to synchronize a movement thereof based on the plurality ofpath attributes when moving along the conveyance path. The movement ofthe plurality of movable-bots may be synchronised in such a manner thatthere is no collision while maintaining a well-defined maximum speed, awell-defined maximum acceleration, and the so forth. Each the pluralityof movable-bots are to move in the same direction along the conveyancepath (e.g., in a clockwise direction) with a maximum speed (e.g., 80kilometres per hour).

Moreover, the plurality of movable-bots may be configured to enable themovement according to the plurality of path attributes and duty-cyclewhen moving along the conveyance path. The entry and exits may beconsidered as phase change positions. For example, the entry points andexit points may enable a deceleration or acceleration of the pluralityof movable-bots. Collectively, an average speed of each of the pluralityof movable-bots on the conveyance path may be accommodated according tothe plurality of path attributes associated therewith. Specifically, thetime scheduling and positioning of the movable-bots are predetermined toavoid collisions and accidental hazards. Furthermore, the merging anddemerging of the plurality of movable-bots may occur while interchangingbetween the conveyance path and the plurality of operation paths. In oneexample, a movable-bot (e.g., A1) may shift from conveyance path to theoperation path, demerging therefrom, to deliver an item to a droplocation. Subsequently, the movable-bot (e.g., A1) may return to theconveyance path from the operation path, merging thereto. Beneficially,the system ensures that operations of merging and demerging are achievedsmooth and no congestion occurs thereby.

In one embodiment, synchronizing the movement of each of the pluralityof movable-bots includes maintaining a separation distance of eachmovable-bot with respect to nearby movable-bots. In order to avoidcongestion, a separation distance of each movable-bot with respect tonearby movable-bots is maintained. Furthermore, the separation distancemay be predetermined, and or maybe calculated based on the dimensions ofthe movable-bot and the distance to be travelled while performing theoperations. Moreover, the separation distance may provide an appropriategap between each of movable-bots for merging and demerging betweendifferent paths.

In one embodiment, the separation distance for the duty-cycle is basedon a number of the movable-bots moving along the conveyance path.Further, the separation distance for the duty-cycle may be determinedaccording to the number of the movable-bots involved therein and movingalong the conveyance path. Furthermore, the separation distance for theduty-cycle may be determined based on the number of the movable-botsassigned to perform the required number of operations in a particularpath. Herein, the duty-cycle may constitute operation of the one of themovable-bots along one of the conveyance path and the operation path, orthe overall operation of the plurality of movable-bots along theconveyance path and the operation path for sorting of the one or moreitems, or a combination thereof.

In one embodiment, the separation distance is calculated by determininga predefined safe-distance between first and second movable-bots of theplurality of movable-bots. The server arrangement is operable tocalculate the separation distance by determining a predefinedsafe-distance between the first and second movable-bots of the pluralityof movable-bots. It will be appreciated that a predefined safe-distancebetween the first and second movable-bots may provide an appropriate gapthat avoids congestion while moving along the conveyance path. Thepredefined safe-distance may include the gap between the front and rearmovable-bots moving in the same path, as well as a side distance betweentwo or more movable-bots moving along two or more side or parallelpaths. In one example, the predefined safe-distance may be three to fivetimes the length of the movable-bot.

In one embodiment, the method further includes adapting a speed of athird movable-bot entering the conveyance path between the first andsecond movable-bots, to maintain the predefined safe-distance of thethird movable-bot with respect to the first and second movable-bots. Inparticular, the server arrangement is operable to adapt a speed of athird movable-bot entering the conveyance path between the first andsecond movable-bots to maintain the predefined safe-distance of thethird movable-bot with respect to the first and second movable-bots. Theaccommodation of a third movable-bot entering the conveyance pathbetween the first and second movable-bots is based on various factorssuch as average speed of the first and second movable-bots, theseparation distance for the duty-cycle, the predefined safe-distancebetween the first and second movable-bots, and the like. Specifically,the speed of the third movable-bot is adjusted on the basis of thepredefined safe-distance between the first and second movable-bots, andthe average speed thereof. Additionally, during merging of the thirdmovable-bot between the first and second movable-bots, the speed of thethird movable-bot is regulated to maintain the predefined safe-distanceand the separation distance with respect to the first and secondmovable-bots.

In one embodiment, the method further includes instructing the thirdmovable-bot to enter the conveyance path in an entering time-window,where the entering time-window is based on the separation distance beinggreater than the predefined safe-distance. In particular, the serverarrangement is operable to instruct the third movable-bot to enter theconveyance path in an entering time-window, where the enteringtime-window is based on the separation distance being greater than thepredefined safe-distance. Specifically, the entering time-window, forthe third movable-bot entering the conveyance path, is determined basedon the separation distance being greater than the predefinedsafe-distance, of the first and second movable-bots. In one or moreexamples, the entering time-window may be calculated to be less than orequal to the separation distance between the first and secondmovable-bots divided by the speed of the second movable-bot.

In an example, a movable bot returning from the operation path to theconveyance path may need to regulate the speed according to the averagespeed of the bots moving along the conveyance path and the enteringtime-window allowed therebetween. Moreover, the entering time-windowrelates to a phase, duration, and the like, that is a fractionalduration of the total time duration. Furthermore, the enteringtime-window may be programmed in accordance with the separation distancebeing greater than the predefined safe-distance, of the first and secondmovable-bots. Additionally, the separation distance may differ with timeto time and on the occurrence of transitions of the one or moreoperations. However, to avoid congestions and collisions, the predefinedsafe-distance may not allow any convergence thereof. Therefore, duringmerging and demerging, the movable may adjust to a perfect time durationto accommodate in the entering time-window.

In one embodiment, the method further includes providing the enteringtime-window at a predefined frequency within the duty-cycle, where theentering time-window corresponds to a predefined duration. Inparticular, the server arrangement is operable to provide the enteringtime-window at a predefined frequency within the duty-cycle, where theentering time-window corresponds to a predefined duration. It will beappreciated that the term “predefined frequency” relates to the averagespeed of the movable-bots in view of the separation distance.Furthermore, the merging and demerging of the movable bots at theentering time-window may be performed by maintaining an appropriateduration of transitions there between. Therefore, the transitions may beperformed at the predefined frequency within the duty-cycle thatcorresponds to the entering time-window of the movable bots. In aninstance, the movable bot may wait for a perfect time-windowcorresponding to the predefined duration.

Similar to the entering time-window, the method further includesinstructing, for example, the third movable-bot to exit the conveyancepath into one or the operation paths during the duty-cycle in an exitingtime-window, where the exiting time-window is based on a separationdistance between, for example, the first moveable-bot and the secondmoveable-bot travelling in the operation path being greater than apredefined safe-distance for entering the operation path. Thecalculations for the exiting time-window can be contemplated to besimilar to the ones used for entering time-window. It may further beappreciated that the duty-cycle may include other types of time-windows,such as time-windows for entering and exiting a scanning point,time-windows for entering and exiting a charging point, and the like.

In one embodiment, the conveyance path and/or plurality of operationpaths are defined using a guiding arrangement, and where the guidingarrangement includes at least one of: a RADAR mechanism and a LIDARmechanism. In some examples, the conveyance path and/or plurality ofoperation paths may include tracks, strips, and so forth. Additionally,the conveyance path and/or plurality of operation paths may be definedusing the guiding arrangement to define the distance, direction,configuration of the average speed, acceleration, time duration, and soforth. As described above, the guiding arrangement can be positioned atcertain points along the conveyance path to allow movable-bots to travelat higher speeds, for example one or more turns along the conveyancepath.

In one embodiment, each of the plurality of movable-bots includes theactuating arrangement having at least two degrees of freedom, to performthe one or more operations, and where the actuating arrangement includesat least one of a tilting mechanism, an oscillating mechanism and arolling mechanism. It will be appreciated that the term “actuatingarrangement” relates to a mechanical component coupled to the pluralityof movable-bots to perform the one or more operations. Furthermore, theactuating arrangement with at least two degrees of freedom can performone of a tilting mechanism, an oscillating mechanism and a rollingmechanism. Thus, the actuating arrangement enables the plurality ofmovable-bots to pick-up the items, drop the items, sorting,transferring, and so forth.

In one embodiment, each of the plurality of movable-bots are autonomousmovable robots. Furthermore, each of the plurality of movable-bots maybe versatile and capable of performing operations automatically.Moreover, each of the plurality of movable-bots may be programmed toperform one or more operations while travelling on the plurality ofpaths.

Referring to FIG. 1, illustrated is a diagrammatic view of a system 100for handling items 102 using a plurality of movable-bots 104, inaccordance with an exemplary implementation of the present disclosure.The plurality of movable-bots 104 is configured to sort the items 102within the system 100. Furthermore, the plurality of movable-bots 104follows one or more paths to travel and sort the items 102 placedthereon. The system 100 includes a server arrangement (shown in FIG. 2)operable to define a conveyance path (shown in FIG. 2) to be followed bythe plurality of movable-bots 104, where the conveyance path isconfigured to be a closed loop. The server arrangement is also operableto define a plurality of attributes associated with the conveyance path,for each of the plurality of movable-bots 104. The server arrangement isalso operable to instruct each of the plurality of movable-bots 104 tosynchronize a movement thereof based on the plurality of path attributeswhen moving along the conveyance path. The server arrangement is furtheroperable to define a plurality of operation paths (shown in FIG. 2) forthe duty-cycle, where the conveyance path and each of the plurality ofoperation paths are generally combined to form a fixed-closed loop. Theclosed loop may be temporarily fixed according to some embodiments. Forexample, The closed loop may be temporarily fixed until one or moreadditional operation paths or one or more mobile-bots are added thatwould require an adjustment to the conveyance path.

Referring to FIG. 2, illustrated is a schematic of a system 200 forhandling items 204, obtained via plurality of chutes 203, using theplurality of movable-bots 206, in accordance with an exemplaryembodiment of the present disclosure. The system 200 includes a serverarrangement (represented by the numeral 202) operable to define aconveyance path 208 to be followed by a plurality of movable-bots 206,where the conveyance path 208 is configured to be a closed loop. Theserver arrangement 202 is also operable to define a plurality ofattributes associated with the conveyance path 208 for each of theplurality of movable-bots 206. The server arrangement 202 is alsooperable to instruct each of the plurality of movable-bots 206 tosynchronize a movement thereof based on the plurality of path attributeswhen moving along the conveyance path 208. The server arrangement 202 isfurther operable to define a plurality of operation paths 210 for theduty-cycle, where the conveyance path 208 and each of the plurality ofoperation paths 210 combine to form a fixed-closed loop. In theexemplary illustration of FIG. 2, the system 200 is shown to include twooperation paths 210.

Generally, the conveyance path 208 may be the larger path in which themovable-bots 206 are operated at a high speed (e.g., maximum speed),whereas operation paths 210 may be relatively smaller paths compared tothe conveyance path 208 in which the movable-bots 206 are operated at alow speed (e.g., minimum speed). In one embodiment, a length of theconveyance path constitutes about 60 to 100 percent of a total length ofthe fixed-closed loop. In one embodiment, a total length of theplurality of operation paths constitutes about 0 to 40 percent of thetotal length of the fixed-closed loop. The plurality of movable-bots 206may enter the operation path 210 from the conveyance path 208 at anentry point 212, and leave the operation path 210 for the conveyancepath 208 at an exit point 214. The plurality of movable-bots 206 areoperable to receive and deliver the items 204. In some examples, thesystem 200 also includes charging points 216 for the movable-bots 206,and the server arrangement 202 is operable to direct the movable-bots206 for the operation of charging the plurality of movable-bots 206 atthe charging point 216.

Referring to FIG. 3A, illustrated is a schematic of a portion of asystem 300 for handling items using a plurality of movable-bots 302depicting a concept of safe-distance, in accordance with an exemplaryembodiment of the present disclosure. As depicted in FIG. 3A, one ormore of the plurality of movable-bots 302 leaves a conveyance path 304and enters an operation path 306 at an entry point 308. The plurality ofmovable-bots 302 may be adapted to maintain a separation distance withrespect to nearby movable-bots 302. For example, as illustrated, themovable-bot 302C, when travelling in the conveyance path 304, maintainsa separation distance 310 with other near-by movable-bots 302A and 302B,where the separation distance 310 is within the pre-definedsafe-distance. Further, as the movable-bot 302C leaves the conveyancepath 304 at the entry point 308, according to some embodiments, it isensured that a separation distance 312 between the movable-bots 302A and302B is within the pre-defined safe-distance. Furthermore, as themovable-bot 302C enters the operation path 306 at the entry point 308,according to some embodiments, it is ensured that a separation distance314 between the movable-bots 302C and 302D (already in the operationpath 306), where the separation distance 314 is within the pre-definedsafe-distance.

In some embodiments, the plurality of movable-bots 302 exit theconveyance path 304 and/or enter the operation path 306 within apre-defined time-window, which is co-related to the safe-distance suchthat the entering of the movable-bot 302C into the operation path 306within the pre-defined time-window results in maintaining thesafe-distance, which is otherwise not achievable. The time-window may bebased on the relative position and speed of nearby movable-bots 302.

Referring to FIG. 3B, illustrated is a schematic of a portion of thesystem 300 for handling items using a plurality of movable-bots 302depicting a concept of safe-distance, in accordance with an exemplaryembodiment of the present disclosure. As depicted in FIG. 3B, one ormore of the plurality of movable-bots 302 leaves the operation path 306and enters the conveyance path 304 at an exit point 316. The pluralityof movable-bots 302 may be adapted to maintain a separation distancewith respect to nearby movable-bots 302. For example, as illustrated,the movable-bot 302C, when travelling in the operation path 306,maintains a separation distance 318 with other near-by movable-bots,like movable-bot 302D, where the separation distance 318 is within thepre-defined safe-distance. Further, as the movable-bot 302C leaves theoperation path 306 and enters the conveyance path 304 at the exit point316, according to some embodiments, it is ensured that a separationdistance 320 is available/maintained between the movable-bots 302A and302C, and the movable-bots 302B and 302C, where the separation distance320 is within the pre-defined safe-distance.

In some embodiments, the plurality of movable-bots 302 exit theoperation path 306 and/or enter the conveyance path 304 within apre-defined time-window, which is co-related to the safe-distance suchthat the entering of the movable-bot 302C into the conveyance path 304within the pre-defined time-window would result in maintaining of thesafe-distance, which is otherwise not achievable. The time-window may bebased on the relative position and speed of nearby movable-bots 302.

In one embodiment, the plurality of movable-bots 302 are configured toadapt a speed of the movable-bot 302C entering/exiting the operationpath 306, to maintain the predefined safe-distance of the movable-bot302C with respect to the movable-bots 302A-B and/or the movable-bot302D. Notably, the movable-bot 302C enters the operation path 306 in anentering time-window, where the entering time-window is based on theseparation distance 310 being greater than the predefined safe-distance312. Further, according to some embodiments, the movable-bot 302C leavesthe operation path 306 in an exiting time-window, where the exitingtime-window is based on the separation distance 320 being greater thanthe predefined safe-distance 312. Generally, the time-windows may bebased on the relative position and speed of nearby movable-bots 302.

Referring to FIG. 4, illustrated is a block diagram of process flowchart 400 for sorting items using a plurality of movable-bots, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The process maystart at step 402, where it is checked whether the movable-bots arecarrying any items. The process proceeds to step 404, where it isdetermined whether the carried item is sortable or not. If the carrieditem is not sortable, the process returns to step 402 where it is againchecked after a while if the item has now become sortable (e.g., due toavailability of space on conveyor belt or the like). If the item issortable, the process proceeds to step 406, where a suitable locationfor dropping off the item is selected.

The process proceeds to step 408, the movable-bot is directed to theconveyance path corresponding to (or, for reaching) the selectedlocation. The process proceeds to step 410, where an operation pathcorresponding to the selected location is identified, which leads to theselected location. The process proceeds to step 412, where themovable-bot is directed to the selected location, via the operationpath, to complete the selected operation. If the operation is notcompleted due to any reason (e.g., due to unavailability of conveyorbelt or the like), then the process returns to step 410 where themovable-bot is again directed to the selected location after waiting fora certain pre-selected period of time.

Referring to FIGS. 5A-5B, illustrated are various embodiments of themovable-bots 500 that can be implemented for carrying out the operationsof the present disclosure. Further, FIG. 5C illustrate a dropping-offoperation being carried out by the movable-bot 500. As illustrated inFIG. 5A, the movable-bot 500 includes an automated guided vehicle (AGV)502, a supporting structure 504 placed on the AGV and a carriage or aconveyor 506 supported by the supporting structure 504. As shown in FIG.5B, the conveyor 506 may travel along the direction indicated by thearrows therein. As shown in FIG. 5C, when the movable-bot 500 reaches inproximity to a conveyor belt 508, the conveyor 506 of the movable-bot500 is activated to move along the direction indicated by acorresponding to arrow so that the item therein is dropped-off to theconveyor belt 508 and transported along the direction as indicated by acorresponding arrow.

Referring to FIG. 6, illustrated is a process 600 for handling itemsusing a plurality of movable-bots, in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present disclosure. The process may start at step 602, where aconveyance path to be followed by the plurality of movable-bots isdefined. The process proceeds to step 604, where a plurality of pathattributes associated with the conveyance path is defined for each ofthe plurality of movable-bots. The process proceeds to step 606, whereeach of the plurality of movable-bots is instructed to synchronize amovement thereof based on the plurality of path attributes when movingalong the conveyance path.

The steps 602 to 606 are only illustrative and other alternatives canalso be provided where one or more steps are added, one or more stepsare removed, or one or more steps are provided in a different sequencewithout departing from the scope of the claims herein.

In some embodiments, the functions and processes of the serverarrangement 202 may be implemented by a computer 726. Next, a hardwaredescription of the computer 726 according to exemplary embodiments isdescribed with reference to FIG. 7. In FIG. 7, the computer 726 includesa CPU 700 which performs the processes described herein. The processdata and instructions may be stored in memory 702. These processes andinstructions may also be stored on a storage medium disk 704 such as ahard drive (HDD) or portable storage medium or may be stored remotely.Further, the claimed advancements are not limited by the form of thecomputer-readable media on which the instructions of the inventiveprocess are stored. For example, the instructions may be stored on CDs,DVDs, in FLASH memory, RAM, ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, hard disk or anyother information processing device with which the computer 726communicates, such as a server or computer.

Further, the claimed advancements may be provided as a utilityapplication, background daemon, or component of an operating system, orcombination thereof, executing in conjunction with CPU 700 and anoperating system such as Microsoft® Windows®, UNIX®, Oracle® Solaris,LINUX®, Apple macOS® and other systems known to those skilled in theart.

In order to achieve the computer 726, the hardware elements may berealized by various circuitry elements, known to those skilled in theart. For example, CPU 700 may be a Xenon® or Core® processor from IntelCorporation of America or an Opteron® processor from AMD of America, ormay be other processor types that would be recognized by one of ordinaryskill in the art. Alternatively, the CPU 700 may be implemented on anFPGA, ASIC, PLD or using discrete logic circuits, as one of ordinaryskill in the art would recognize. Further, CPU 700 may be implemented asmultiple processors cooperatively working in parallel to perform theinstructions of the inventive processes described above.

The computer 726 in FIG. 7 also includes a network controller 706, suchas an Intel Ethernet PRO network interface card from Intel Corporationof America, for interfacing with network 724. As can be appreciated, thenetwork 724 can be a public network, such as the Internet, or a privatenetwork such as LAN or WAN network, or any combination thereof and canalso include PSTN or ISDN sub-networks. The network 724 can also bewired, such as an Ethernet network, or can be wireless such as acellular network including EDGE, 3G and 4G wireless cellular systems.The wireless network can also be WiFi®, Bluetooth®, or any otherwireless form of communication that is known.

The computer 726 further includes a display controller 708, such as aNVIDIA® GeForce® GTX or Quadro® graphics adaptor from NVIDIA Corporationof America for interfacing with display 710, such as a Hewlett Packard®HPL2445w LCD monitor. A general purpose I/O interface 712 interfaceswith a keyboard and/or mouse 714 as well as an optional touch screenpanel 716 on or separate from display 710. General purpose I/O interfacealso connects to a variety of peripherals 718 including printers andscanners, such as an OfficeJet® or DeskJet® from Hewlett Packard®.

The general purpose storage controller 720 connects the storage mediumdisk 704 with communication bus 722, which may be an ISA, EISA, VESA,PCI, or similar, for interconnecting all of the components of thecomputer 726. A description of the general features and functionality ofthe display 710, keyboard and/or mouse 714, as well as the displaycontroller 708, storage controller 720, network controller 706, andgeneral purpose I/O interface 712 is omitted herein for brevity as thesefeatures are known.

Modifications to embodiments of the present disclosure described in theforegoing are possible without departing from the scope of the presentdisclosure as defined by the accompanying claims. Expressions such as“including”, “comprising”, “incorporating”, “have”, “is” used todescribe and claim the present disclosure are intended to be construedin a non-exclusive manner, namely allowing for items, components orelements not explicitly described also to be present. Reference to thesingular is also to be construed to relate to the plural.

Obviously, numerous modifications and variations are possible in lightof the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within thescope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwisethan as specifically described herein.

Thus, the foregoing discussion discloses and describes merely exemplaryembodiments of the present invention. As will be understood by thoseskilled in the art, the present invention may be embodied in otherspecific forms without departing from the spirit or essentialcharacteristics thereof. Accordingly, the disclosure of the presentinvention is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting of the scopeof the invention, as well as other claims. The disclosure, including anyreadily discernible variants of the teachings herein, defines, in part,the scope of the foregoing claim terminology such that no inventivesubject matter is dedicated to the public.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method for handling items using aplurality of movable-bots, the method comprising: defining, by circuitryof a server arrangement, a dynamic primary path to be followed by theplurality of movable-bots, the dynamic primary path configured as aclosed loop; defining, by the circuitry of the server arrangement, foreach of the plurality of movable-bots, a plurality of path attributesassociated with the dynamic primary path; and instructing, by thecircuitry of the server arrangement, each of the plurality ofmovable-bots to synchronize a movement with respect to at least oneother movable-bot based on the plurality of path attributes when movingalong the dynamic primary path; defining, by the circuitry of the serverarrangement, a dynamic closed loop that is a combination of the dynamicprimary path and a plurality of dynamic secondary paths that each havean exit point from the dynamic primary path and an entry point to thedynamic primary path; and instructing, by the circuitry of the serverarrangement, one or more movable-bots of the plurality of movable-botsto perform one or more corresponding operations associated with adynamic secondary path from the plurality of dynamic secondary pathswhen leaving the dynamic primary path and entering the dynamic secondarypath, wherein upon completion of the one or more correspondingoperations associated with the dynamic secondary path by the one or moremovable bots, (i) the dynamic secondary path is removed and (ii) thedynamic primary path is reconfigured to maintain a velocity of themovable bots in the dynamic primary path, and wherein the velocity ofthe one or more movable bots in the dynamic primary path is higher thanthe velocity of the movable bots in each of the dynamic secondary paths.2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a length of the dynamicprimary path constitutes a range of 60 to 100 percent of a total lengthof the dynamic primary path and a total length of the plurality ofdynamic secondary paths constitutes a range of 0 to 40 percent of thetotal length of the dynamic primary path, wherein the length of thedynamic primary path being a range of 60 to 100 percent of the totallength of the dynamic primary path increases the average speed of themovable-bots during operation.
 3. The method according to claim 1,wherein each of the movable-bots is configured to perform an operationwhile traversing the dynamic primary path without reducing the speed ofthe respective moveable-bot.
 4. The method according to claim 1, whereinthe one or more operations associated with each of the plurality ofdynamic secondary paths comprises one of: retrieving identityinformation of an item at a scanning point, wherein the identityinformation comprises at least one of: a unique identifier of the item,a weight of the item and dimensions of the item; receiving the item at apickup point; delivering the item at a drop point; and charging amovable-bot at a charging point.
 5. The method according to claim 1,wherein the plurality of path attributes comprises: a maximum speedpermitted for each of the plurality of movable-bots, a maximumacceleration permitted for each of the plurality of movable-bots, anentry point, for each of the plurality of movable-bots, from each of thedynamic secondary paths into the dynamic primary path, and an exitpoint, for each of the plurality of movable-bots, from the dynamicprimary path into each of the dynamic secondary paths.
 6. The methodaccording to claim 5, wherein the maximum speed is in a range of 1.5 to10 times of an effective speed of each movable-bot along the pluralityof dynamic secondary paths.
 7. The method according to claim 1, whereinsynchronizing the movement of each of the plurality of movable-botscomprises maintaining, by the circuitry of the server arrangement, aseparation distance of each movable-bot with respect to the at least oneother moveable-bot, wherein the at least one other moveable-bot isdirectly ahead or behind a respective one of the plurality ofmovable-bots.
 8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the separationdistance is based on a number of the movable-bots moving along thedynamic primary path.
 9. The method according to claim 7, wherein theseparation distance is calculated by determining a predefinedsafe-distance between a first and a second movable-bots of the pluralityof movable-bots.
 10. The method according to claim 7, further comprisingconfiguring, by the circuitry of the server arrangement, a speed of athird movable-bot entering the dynamic primary path between the firstand second movable-bots to maintain the predefined safe-distance of thethird movable-bot with respect to the first and second movable-bots. 11.The method according to claim 10, further comprising instructing, by thecircuitry of the server arrangement, the third movable-bot to enter thedynamic primary path in an entering time-window that is based on theseparation distance being greater than the predefined safe-distance. 12.The method according to claim 11, further comprising providing, by thecircuitry of the server arrangement, the entering time-window at apredefined frequency, wherein the entering time-window corresponds to apredefined duration.
 13. A system for handling items using a pluralityof movable-bots, the system comprising: a server arrangement operableto: define a dynamic primary path to be followed by the plurality ofmovable-bots, the dynamic primary path configured as a closed loop;define, for each of the plurality of movable-bots, a plurality of pathattributes associated with the dynamic primary path; instruct each ofthe plurality of movable-bots to synchronize a movement with respect toat least one other movable-bot based on the plurality of path attributeswhen moving along the dynamic primary path; define a dynamic closed loopthat is a combination of the dynamic primary path and a plurality ofdynamic secondary paths that each have an exit point from the dynamicprimary path and an entry point to the dynamic primary path; andinstruct one or more movable-bots of the plurality of movable-bots toperform one or more corresponding operations associated with a dynamicsecondary path from the plurality of dynamic secondary paths whenleaving the primary path and entering the dynamic secondary path,wherein upon completion of the one or more corresponding operationsassociated with the dynamic secondary path by the one or more movablebots, (i) the dynamic secondary path is removed and (ii) the dynamicprimary path is reconfigured to maintain a velocity of the movable botsin the dynamic primary path, and wherein the velocity of the one or moremovable bots in the dynamic primary path is higher than the velocity ofthe movable bots in each of the dynamic secondary paths.
 14. The systemaccording to claim 13, wherein a length of the dynamic primary pathconstitutes a range of 60 to 100 percent of a total length of thedynamic primary path and a total length of the plurality of dynamicsecondary paths constitutes a range of 0 to 40 percent of the totallength of the dynamic primary path, wherein the length of the dynamicprimary path being a range of 60 to 100 percent of the total length ofthe dynamic primary path increases the average speed of the movable-botsduring operation.
 15. The system, according to claim 13, wherein each ofthe movable-bots is configured to perform an operation while traversingthe dynamic primary path without reducing the speed of the respectivemoveable-bot.
 16. The system according to claim 13, wherein theplurality of path attributes comprises: a maximum speed permitted foreach of the plurality of movable-bots, a maximum acceleration permittedfor each of the plurality of movable-bots, an entry point, for each ofthe plurality of movable-bots, from each of the dynamic secondary pathsinto the dynamic primary path, and an exit point, for each of theplurality of movable-bots, from the dynamic primary path into each ofthe dynamic secondary paths.
 17. The system according to claim 16,wherein the maximum speed is in a range of 1.5 to 10 times of aneffective speed of each movable-bot along the plurality of dynamicsecondary paths.
 18. The system according 13, wherein synchronization ofthe movement of each of the plurality of movable-bots comprises theserver arrangement operable to maintain a separation distance of eachmovable-bot with respect to the at least one other moveable-bot, whereinthe at least one other moveable-bot is directly ahead or behind arespective one of the plurality of movable-bots.
 19. The systemaccording to claim 18, wherein the separation distance is based on anumber of the movable-bots moving along the dynamic primary path.
 20. Anon-transitory computer readable medium method for handling items usinga plurality of movable-bots, the method comprising: defining a dynamicprimary path to be followed by the plurality of movable-bots, thedynamic primary path configured as a closed loop; defining for each ofthe plurality of movable-bots, a plurality of path attributes associatedwith the dynamic primary path; instructing each of the plurality ofmovable-bots to synchronize a movement with respect to at least oneother movable-bot based on the plurality of path attributes when movingalong the dynamic primary path; defining, by the circuitry of the serverarrangement, a dynamic closed loop that is a combination of the dynamicprimary path and a plurality of dynamic secondary paths that each havean exit point from the dynamic primary path and an entry point to thedynamic primary path; instructing, by the circuitry of the serverarrangement, one or more movable-bots of the plurality of movable-botsto perform one or more corresponding operations associated with adynamic secondary path from the plurality of dynamic secondary pathswhen leaving the dynamic primary path and entering the dynamic secondarypath, wherein upon completion of the one or more correspondingoperations associated with the dynamic secondary path by the one or moremovable bots, (i) the dynamic secondary path is removed and (ii) thedynamic primary path is reconfigured to maintain a velocity of themovable bots in the dynamic primary path, and wherein the velocity ofthe one or more movable bots in the dynamic primary path is higher thanthe velocity of the movable bots in each of the dynamic secondary paths.